18 dogs looking for new homes from Cuero Pet adoption center

ADOPT A CUERO DOG

To find out how to adopt a dog from Pet Adoptions of Cuero, call 361-277-3706.

CUERO - Adoptive homes are being sought for the dogs that had been housed in the Cuero animal shelter.

"There are no plans to euthanize any of the animals," said Cuero Police Chief Jay Lewis, responding to a Facebook post that he had ordered all the animals to be killed.

The city has built a new shelter on Farm-to-Market Road 766, and any animals picked up by animal control starting this week will be housed there, Lewis said.

About 18 dogs that were in the current shelter have been turned over to Pet Adoptions of Cuero, a nonprofit group that formed in August.

"We have the animals in an overflow site and are trying to find homes for them," said Peggy Ledbetter, one of the organization's founders and officers. "Anyone who is interested in adoption is urged to get in touch with us."

Cuero animal control policy dictates that animals can be sheltered for no more than 30 days.

When an animal is picked up by Cuero animal control, if it is unclaimed by the owner after five days, it is available for adoption, Lewis explained.

"If after 25 additional days - a total of 30 days - in our shelter, then we have to move the animal out," he said.

During the transition to the new facility, the usual $25 adoption fee was waived when the dogs were transferred to the pet adoption group, Lewis said.

"There are two dogs at the old facility that will be transferred to the new facility, but they are part of an animal cruelty investigation," Lewis said. "The reason none of the other dogs are being transferred to the new facility is that they have been in the possession of the city 30 days or more."

The new facility has a separate building for housing any cats picked up by Cuero animal control. The cats at the old shelter were also turned over to Pet Adoptions of Cuero.